Unionized Teachers Sued Over Disturbing State Test
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
A conservative civic group on Friday filed a lawsuit against a teachers' union with a court for alleged disruption of state-run exams for elementary and secondary schools. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology organized the test.
The ``People's Association for the Removal of Anti-Nation Education'' said Friday it was suing 57 members of the Korean Teachers & Education Worker's Union (KTU) for what it claims to be the obstruction of business.
Among those being sued are Jung Jin-hoo and Jung Jin-hwa, current and former KTU chiefs, and other board members. Among the 57, 19 are ordinary teachers.
``The KTU obstructed the business of the education ministry by encouraging students to boycott the state exam,'' the civic group said in a statement. It also accused the union of having used material criticizing the National Security Law during classes.
``The unionized teachers also instigated candlelit rallies against U.S. beef imports and used North Korean history books for their training,'' it said.
The KTU has opposed the state-run test, claiming it will rank schools by scores and only boost unnecessary competition.